A six-month-old baby was rescued alive along with their mother from the rubble of a collapsed building in the Ciudad Capri neighborhood, south of Cali, in an operation that became the most powerful symbol of hope following the devastating earthquake of magnitude 7.4 that struck western Colombia on Monday.
The rescue video was first shared by the Colombian outlet El Tiempo and has gone viral in recent hours, touching the hearts of millions.
An operation of hours between concrete and dust
The operation lasted several hours and involved both professional teams and neighbors who joined spontaneously.
The voices captured in the video reflect the extreme tension of the moment: "Watch out for that wall" and "Grab it, grab it, grab it" can be heard among the rescuers as they worked with precision to avoid causing another collapse.
When the little boy and his mother were brought to safety, a wave of applause and cheers erupted among those present.
According to Noticias Caracol, the baby was delivered in stable condition with only minor lacerations.
According to international media, the mother allegedly shielded the child with her own body during the collapse.
Cali, in a race against time
Cali was one of the cities most affected by the earthquake, which hit northwestern Colombia at 7:34 in the morning, with the epicenter in San José del Palmar, Chocó department.
The mayor Alejandro Eder reported 25 collapsed structures with people trapped and nearly twenty buildings with severe damage.
"Caleños, this is a moment to be united. We need to help each other, support one another, and work together," declared the mayor, who confirmed that relief organizations were surveying the affected areas to compile a census of displaced families.
A representative from the emergency teams reported that they were working "with the community, civil defense, and a total of 25 fire units conducting the search for the two infants" trapped under a four-story building.
A toll of victims that continues to grow
The earthquake, described as the strongest recorded in Colombia in the last decade, left a trail of destruction that was revealed starkly throughout the day.
The most recent update raised the number of deceased to 181 and over 570 injured, with 188 missing just in Cali. The Pereira metropolitan area accounts for the majority of the fatalities.
The Colombian Geological Service recorded 47 aftershocks by 6:30 PM local time, with a maximum magnitude of 4.8, and warned that it is "likely" that more will occur.
Hope in the midst of pain
As the teams move through the collapsed buildings, asking for silence to detect any signs of life—“If anyone can hear me, make a noise or shout”—the rescue of the baby and its mother remains the glimmer of hope for those searching for their loved ones.
“At some point, it could be a relative of yours who is out there; one cannot be indifferent to a situation like this,” said a neighbor who joined the search efforts.
President Abelardo de la Espriella, who took office just three days before the earthquake, declared the disaster a national emergency and summoned a Unified Command Post to coordinate the response.
Ecuador deployed 47 rescuers with specialized dogs to assist in the efforts, while USGS has issued an orange alert, projecting a likely final toll between 100 and 1,000 fatalities, with a 20% chance of exceeding one thousand.
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